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by SugdenLovesDingle



Series: Robert week 2017 [6]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: M/M, in a perfect world, moving into the mill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 21:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12044310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugdenLovesDingle/pseuds/SugdenLovesDingle
Summary: Robert Week 2017Day 6 - Write a scene, the way you wished it had gone





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**Author's Note:**

> Slightly late because I'm a horrible procrastinator!

“Alone at last.” Aaron said, closing the door behind Adam and walking over to Robert, slipping his arms around his waist from behind and putting his chin on his shoulder. “Alright?”

“Yeah… just thinking where we should put this.” Robert replied, holding up the framed wedding picture Vic had given them as a house warming present.

“I don’t know. Above the fireplace maybe? We’ll see. We’ve got all the time in the world to decide on how to decorate _our house_.”

Robert smiled and turned around in his arms.

“Yeah that’s true, isn’t it? It’s just us now. No crazy family or half the village drinking right on the other side of the door.”

“You hated living in the pub, didn’t you?”

“Nah.” Robert said and laughed when he saw the look on Aaron’s face that told him he didn’t believe a word he was saying. “Maybe at first. It was a little crowded. But it still beat Vic’s box room. And you were there. That made everything worth it.”

“Soft lad.” Aaron said and kissed him.

“I mean it! But that doesn’t mean I’m not very happy we have our own place now”

“Me too.” Aaron said, looking around. “Hard to believe we’re finally living here now.”

“Better believe it mister Sugden, because I’m not going back.” Robert said and they both laughed.

“So what’s your plan for tonight?”

“Plan?”

“The reason why you cancelled the party and I just kicked Adam out. You wanted to talk.”

“I said talk… I meant christen every room in the house.”

Aaron grinned.

“Every room? We best get started then.” He said and took Robert’s hand and dragged him up the stairs to their bedroom. “This seems like a good place to start.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” Robert said and let Aaron walk him backwards to the bed and push him down on it.

They settled down on the bed, Robert on his back, Aaron leaning over him, kissing him like there was no tomorrow and unbuttoning his shirt with one hand. A skill he’d perfected over the years and Robert usually loved. Only today he couldn’t manage to switch off his brain.

“Hey, hey.” He said softly, putting his hand over Aaron’s to stop him. “Can we slow down a bit?”

“Of course.” Aaron said, immediately backing off and lying down on his side next to Robert. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just… I missed you so much when you were inside.”

“I missed you too. But I’m back now. You got me out. We're good now.”

“Yeah.” Robert said and smiled before taking a deep breath. “I slept on the sofa when you were inside. I couldn’t sleep in our bed.” He admitted.

“You couldn’t?”

“No… I tried to hide it. Tried to keep going. For Liv, for your mum. Even Noah. Everyone was counting on me.”

“Noah?”

“Charity left to go to Prague. He had school so he stayed. So I sorted him and Liv out.” Robert told him. “I think he liked me giving him a lift to school.”

“At least someone appreciates your fancy silver car then.” Aaron teased.

“Shut up. You drive a silver car too.” Robert replied, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together. “You love my car.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too. And I’m glad you’re home. I was beside myself when your mum told me you’d gotten 12 months.”

“I wished you were there beside me when I got sentenced.” Aaron admitted. “But then when I had to say goodbye to mum and they led me away… I knew I would have broken down completely if you’d been there. And I would’ve been doomed from day one inside.”

“It wasn’t exactly peace and quiet for you in there…”

“No. But the thought of coming home to you and Liv, knowing you were getting this place sorted. That’s what kept me going. It made me kick the spice.”

“I’m glad you did. I hated seeing you like that. My beautiful husband, strung out and telling me I should be in prison.”

“I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. I was off my face.”

“I know. It hurt though. I felt like shit and I wanted to forget everything that happened. So I got a bottle of whiskey, came here, and kicked Adam out and drank it.”

“That’s when you trashed the place.”

“Yeah. Vic found me and sobered me up best she could. She stayed here with me to make sure I wouldn’t do anything too stupid and helped me clean up the next day.” Robert told him, feeling embarrassed over what he’d done. “She’s a saint.”

“She’s your sister, she loves you. Even when you’re an idiot. When both of us are being idiots.”

“Yeah.” Robert agreed. “I just. I feel stupid for telling you this. You went through hell inside.”

“I did. But it can’t have been easy for you either. You lost weight. I could tell. And you looked like shit every time you came to see me. I wanted to tell you to go home and take a nap… but I also wanted to spend as much time with you as possible.”

“Me too. Most days that six o clock phone call was the only thing getting me through the day. That and knowing it was one day closer to you coming home.”

“Every night at lights out that’s what I told myself. One day closer to getting out of there and coming home to this. To you, to Liv, mum, Paddy, Adam and Vic. Everyone. I’d try to shower in the evenings so I’d smell your shower gel and I could actually sleep. I barely slept at all the first few nights. I kept almost rolling off the bed because I tried to get close to you whenever I dozed off.”

“Is that why you started using?”

“Part of the reason, I suppose.” Aaron sighed. “I missed you so much. I missed home. I missed waking up to you sleeping through the alarm or Liv banging around in her room. I even missed the five minute cold shower when we get up too late and all of the hot water is gone.”

“And warming up afterwards.” Robert added with a grin.

“Yeah I definitely missed that too.” Aaron agreed. “It’s just… when I was high… none of that really… mattered. It helped me forget and ignore those feelings. Until it wore off and all I could think of was getting my next fix to drown out the pain and the emptiness.”

“I’m sorry you went through that. I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out sooner.”

“Don’t say that. You’ve been amazing. Without you I’d still be in there, staring at the walls and slowly losing my mind.” Aaron said and squeezed Robert’s hand.

“I was so worried about you. When they wouldn’t tell me where you were the first day and then when they wouldn’t let me see you after your fight. I watched that video your mum took of us during our first dance in the pub over and over again. I watched all of the videos of you on my phone. And listened to the last voicemail you left me… I just wanted to hear your voice again. Hear your laugh.”

Aaron nodded.

“Me too. I kept wishing I’d brought photos with me… but Jason probably would’ve figured things out even faster. ”

“Why because you’d kiss my picture every night?” Robert joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“I’d rather kiss the real thing.” Aaron said and leaned over him again to kiss him. “I love you mister Dingle. And from now on, no looking back, ok? We put this behind us.”

Robert nodded and kissed him.

“Thank you.”

Aaron frowned.

“For what?”

“For never giving up on me. For giving me a family. And a home.”

“Even if I’m not rich and live in the big house on the hill?”

“That was never home. I was always pretending. Everything was an act. I had to be the doting fiancé, the businessman in the smart suits, the lord of the manor… I could never just be me.” Robert sighed. “And it’s not just about being bi. I couldn’t just be Robert, Jack’s lad who’d always get into trouble with his brother. I had to be Robert Sugden, estate manager for Home Farm Estate.” He said and paused to think. “I… I can’t remember the last time I’ve really felt at home. Like I belonged somewhere. Not since I was a kid.”

Aaron’s heart broke for his husband.

“You belong right here. With me. In our house. I know the Dingles are loud and a little crazy sometimes… but they’re your family just as much as mine, ok? There are a lot of people here who love you. Me included. This is your home. Don’t you ever doubt that.”

Robert gave him a small smile.

“I don’t. Not anymore.”


End file.
